Seed-sowing machine



(No Model.)

B m mm KA M IG m W w n E S Patented Aug. 3, 1897.

. INK/ENTER.

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WITNESSE'E ATTY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH M. RIOKEY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SEED=SOW|NG MACHINE.

SPECIFIOATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 587,374, dated August 3,1897.

Application filed August 24:, 1896. Serial NO- 603,808- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. RIOKEY, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Oleveland,Ouyahoga county, and State of Ohio,have invented a new and Improved Broadcast Seed-Sowing Machine, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to centrifugal seedsowing machines which aresupported on the person of the operator and are operated by hand; andthe object of the invention is, first, to furnish a machine in which issubstantially overcome the excessive friction of the revolving headthrough which the seed is scattered by centrifugal force, and, secondly,to scatter the seed more regularly and evenly than heretofore inmachines of this variety.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly insection, of my new and improved seed-sowing machine. Fig. 2 is a planview thereof. Fig. 3 is a partly sectional elevation of a revolving headwith tubular arms for sowing or distributing the seed.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, a represents a cylindrical body formingthe central and supporting member ofthe machine and to or around whichthe other parts are built. This body is preferably made of tin, so as tosecure lightness with serviceability, and other parts of the machinelikewise are of tin for the same reason, though of course other metalmay be used for any of the said parts, if preferred.

Bis a hopper supported on cylinder at. Both ends of the cylinder CL areclosed by caps fastened,preferably,by solder,and journal-bearings forthe central shaft i are soldered onto the outside and center of the saidcaps at both ends of the cylinder. In these bearings is journaled theshaft 2', and a pinion h on the rear end-of the shaft meshes with thedriving gear-wheel d, which is provided with a crankhandle 0 inconvenient position to be rotated by the operator. The gear at issupported on a lateral projection rigid with the cylinder at. The bottomit of the hopper B opens into the said cylinder 0, through a triangularor substantially V- shaped opening. This opening is controlled bya slideor gate j, that is movable in or out as may be required to regulate theflow of seed fromthe hopper, the said slide or gate diminishing orenlarging the opening as may be required and according to the kind ofseed sown and the volume wanted. A pointer m, having a projection,extends laterally from the outer end and edge of the slide j and isadapted to engage in any one of a series of holes, (indicated by Figs.1, 2, 3, &c.,) so that the feed-slide maybe held at any place to whichit maybe set.

C is the revolving head, through which the seed is received from thecylinder (1 and dis tributed or sown by means of the distributing-tubesor hollow arms 0. This head may be either substantially square or otherequivalent form, and has a series of distributingtubes, as shown in thedrawings, respectively. The said head is hollow and the inner side iscut away to just fit over the end of cylinder a, but not to ride thereonor to have any bearing whatever on said cylinder. Such closeness as willprevent seeds from working out at this point will suffice, but it shouldbe free to avoid all contact and friction.

Two peculiarities characterize the setting of the distributing-tubes inhead 0. In the first place all of them are set at one side of a radialline from the axis of the head and so that a projection of each tubewill carry the line almost parallel to the corresponding side of thehead, as here shown. This is done in order to get a uniform distributionof the seed in the head'in respect to all of said tubes, whether threeor four, and so that the machine will throw as much seed to the right asto the left, or to the left as to the right. Ex-

perience has shown me that if the tubes 0 be radial from the axis orcenter of the head the larger proportion of the seed is carried over anddistributed on one side or the other of the operator, and generally onthe left side. This is a fatal objection in a machine of this kind, andhence the present construction and arrangement, with thedistributing-arms set relatively to the axis of the head about as shownin either Fig. 1 or Fig 2. Again, I have found that when thedistributing-tubes are in the same vertical plane at their outerextremities-for example, like the spokes of a wagon-wheel-they do notscatter the seed with breadth of throw enough to make the work uniformand even. ties of the said arms are staggered in respect Hence theextremito one another, and some are inclined laterally in one directionfrom a vertical plane while others are at an inclination in the oppositedirection, substantially as shown. This insures more equitable sowingbecause it prevents all the tubes from sowing in the same line at thesame time and compensates for any irregularity in the movement of theoperator and increases the scattering effect of the machine. The head,as here shown, is angular in form and the tubes 0 are set in the anglesof the head. This, it will be observed, is different from a circularhead with radial tubes at regular intervals in the same plane.

The revolving head has the shaft 11 fixed rigidly thereto, so as to beremovable therewith, and in this instance I employ a couple ofconcavo-convex caps which are soldered to the head 0 and to which theshaft is soldered, thus making the engagement. firm and durable and atthe same time maintaining lightness of construction. These caps arespaced apart to make the engagement more effectual having a cylindricalbody through WllIOll the seed passes at its front end, and bearings forby extending the bearing of the shaft therein. At its opposite end thesaid shaft projects through pinion h, where it is fastened by a nut.

The bearing 1) at the front of cylinder at for the shafti is of copper,brass, or other suitable material and is soldered in the center of' saidcylinder to form. a rigidly-fixed bearing for the shaft 1 and the head0, carried tl1ereby. This construction and arrangement of these partsreduces friction to the minimum and makes it very easy to operate themachine. The front end of cylinder a is cut away at the bottom, asindicated by r, forthe passage of the seed to head 0, and a sheetmetaldiaphragm. or other smooth-surfaced diaphragm or chute Z is set at an.inclination in the cylinder (4 to carry the seed forward through thedischarge 0' into the head 0. The shaft 1' passes through thisdiaphragm, but does not interfere with the flow of the seed.

The machine is carried on the person by means of the curved body-rest g,supported by tubular braces f, and a strap q, engaged on the hopper, isadapted to pass over the shoulders, around the neck, and carry the loadlargely in thatway.

To regulate thevolume of feed of such small seeds as clover, timothy,and the like to a small and uniform flow is very difiicult and,perfectly regular run of seed. 'ticed that the point of the V-openingis from differs altogether from larger seeds, such as wheat, oats, andthe like. Hence I have devised this particular shape of opening orpassage, which by reason of its shape can be reduced to the smallestsize and yet afford a It will be nothe slide and the slide closes alwayson the larger portion of the opening, and thus leaving the pointedportion always last to be closed.

W'hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The cylindrical body through which the seed is fed, the hopperthereon and a substanjtially V-shaped opening from the hopper to thecylinder, a cut-off to regulate the fl'ow of "seed through said opening,and a pointer and a graduated scale to fix the said cutoff at anydesired position according. to the flow of seed wanted, in combinationwith a centrifugal distributer, substantially as described.

2. The machine substantiall as described ashaft in both ends of saidcylinder, a shaft supported in said bearings and aseed-distributing headfixed rigidly to said shaft, whereby friction is reduced to a minimum,substantially as described.

3. In a. machine substantially as described,

arevolvingdistributing-head having tubular distributing-arms set inlines at an inclination to radial lines from the axis of the head andoff the axial center, substantially as described.

i. In a machine substantially as described, a centrifugaldistributing-head for the seed having arms arranged to cause their outerends to travel in different but substantially parallel planes and set,in staggered relation to each other, substantially as described.

5. The machine substantially as described, having a centrifugaldistributing-head, and arms in said head staggeredin respect to eachother so as not to sow on the same lines at the same time, and set at aninclination to lines radiating from the axis of the head, substantiallyas described.

JOSEPH M. RICKEY. Witnesses:

FRED A. PEASE, OH. DANTEL, Jr.

